ACTIVITY IN AIR

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 401, 7 April 1937, Page 7

ACTIVITY IN AIR

8.8.C.’S PLANS Counter-attack to German Propaganda. The British Broadcasting Corporation, now thoroughly alive to the Insidious effect on Empire radio listeners of the propaganda broadcast, unceasingly by foreign transmitters, has resolved to spare neither money nor effort in making Daventry supreme among like world’s short-wave stations. Officially, the corporation states that the (three new high-powered transmit Ors recently ordered for Daventry are capable of an out.put of 50 kilowatts each. The London Morning Post learns, in fact, that their maximum power will be 100 kilowajtts. It is further understood that’ the 8.8 C. is now considering ordering a fourth new transmit'ter of the'same type. There will thus be six trns miters at (the 8.8.C.'s disposal by next year. Although the contract for he Ici est one will not be given until the three ordered in 1935 are in full operation, there is ample room for it in the reconstructed Daven Ty station. Particular concern is being felt re warding the present activities of the German short-wave station at Zeesen. which itransmits “highly coloured” news bulletins in English to the African Continent daily. Ready for Coronation. The present strength of Daventry’s :wo transmitters is only la kilowatts, is compared with a maximum output in the part of Zeesen of 50 kilowatts. This deficiency in power has long neant that the ordinary British listener in Africa can pick up Zeesen’s signal on his receiver more easily than that of Daventry. Recep ion of the G rman s 'ation is also less subject to “fading." It was 'to offset this competition that the 8.8 C., 18 months ago, placed he order for three new short-wave transmitters. At ths same time a further 80 acres of land were purchased, on which to erect eight new aerial masts, of an average height of 250 feet. The engineers were instructed that he new transmitters must be ready by May this year, in order that tin Coronation broadcasts should reach the widest possible audience throughout ,the Empire. Night and Day Watch. The 8.8 C. is fu ly aware of every propaganda broadcast given by a foreign station. At the teceiving station at’ Tatsfield, Surrey, engineers are engaged day and night in picking up and recording foreign pro gramm s, the most provocative and outstanding of which are sent to Broadcasting House io be studied by h:gh officials of the Corporation, and, if necessary, passed on to the Foreign Office. It was largely as tie. result of pressure on the pant of the Colonial and Dominion Governments that the 8.8. C. determined to embark on the pres; nt costly scheme, which will give Britain the most efficient shortwave service in existence. “Hello” to Australia. The political correspondent' of the Morning Post writes: The broadcasting of German propaganda to the British Empire has been watched by the British authorities for some time past. It is common knowledge Ithat enormous efforts have been .made by Germany on the air. The aim of the Nazi Government is to reach every corner of the world by radio and Hood with a constant emission of German propaganda. For that purpose a special building has been constructed in Berlin and manned with a very big staff. In this organisation the world is divided into zones, and each zone is in charge of specialise in the appropriate languages and local customs, who make a study of the most suitable kind of programmes. Thus for Soulth American audiences the broadcasts are in Spanish, while for the inhabitants of the British Empire English is used. A typical greeting would be “Hello, Australia, we are speaking from Germany. We hope it is nice and sunny down there.”